RFN # 16, pub. 7/9/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 16
July 9, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Well, friends, I’ve just returned from my new addiction, china wh… just kidding, disc golf it is. A little piece of exercise, a little good clean sweat, and a few shouted expletives to see my too-expensive little Frisbees shanking their way into oblivion, deep in the bramble. Which bramble also has wings, as I found while frustratedly searching the field on the last hole, when an angry bee gave her life to ruin my pinky toe’s afternoon. Oh well, swollen toes were a symbol of great power among the Incas. Maybe I should eat come quinoa. Or maybe I should shut the hell up and get to it, ne?

Last week I was invited to yet another fantastic tasting courtesy of Triage (for whom I am not a paid shill, by the way… although my resume can be found on FB, Triagiens!), once again at the elegant digs at Eco PDX (2289 N Interstate, PDX; http://www.ecopdx.com/), a fabulous entombed and salvaged wood furniture place. As soon as I buy a house, this is where I will get my furnishings- it’s absolutely gorgeous in there, including the world’s loveliest easy chair, a wooden-slat recliner as only God intended… But last week I was there to taste Californian wines, NOT recline on affordable furniture, so onward.

Readers, I know you now recognize Triage as one of the best distributors in town- this is not just a result of great customer service, or even their wonderful book, but it is also a question of consistency of taste. They pick, almost without fail, wines I find to be elegant, structured, and impeccably well-made. So when you hear they’re showing wines from California, you have to take notice. Here’s the thing with our fair southern neighbor state: it offers more variety of vineyard land than almost anywhere outside of Europe. The range of styles it’s possible to produce there surely make it the New World equivalent to France in that regard. That means that those gushing oakbombs that get hung with all the big sexy scores are not at all what California does best. At their best, Callie wines effortlessly combine New World fruit with Old World structure and class. It’s a big reason why ossified old Bordeaux, even if it’s one of my favorite wine regions on the planet, is less and less thought of as the standard for excellent Cabernets, for instance. The very best from California are increasingly just as good as anything from overseas… OK, maybe it’s I who am gushing here (ahem, Barolo, yes yes, Chablis, ok, I get it, shut up, Riggs), but you get my overly prolix point: California rocks!

California Tasting, by Triage Wines, at EcoPDX

2007 Mark Elke Chardonnay Anderson Valley $20
Yes, there’s oak here, people. Get over it and move on. This is a very nice iteration of the often cloying style of Chard that obtains down here. Cool climate vineyards allow for the development of fine acidity, and the flavors of filberts, lemon zest, and stones swirl on the palate. Not too heavy at all, this would be excellent with poultry.

2006 Walter Hansel Chardonnay North Slope Russian R. Valley $43
Yes, this is a big boy. I dunno if it has gobs of fruit, but it definitely leans towards the hedonistic fruitbomb end of things. I’m only half-kidding there- the nose of this wine opens up with a big, woody California terroir funk, all animal flesh and R-rated briny undercurrents, and the palate is lush with lemon meringue and sweet earth. I think this would pair best with friendly debauchery.

2008 Copain Rosé Tous Ensemble Anderson Valley $17
The marked smokiness to this rosé of Pinot Noir has it dressed up as Pinotage. Compelling, sassy flavors of dried roses and stones flow into a beautifully crisp finish with great balance. This is wine made for barbecued ribs. Or BBQ chips and a sunny deck? Hmmm…

2006 Copain Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley $43
The most interesting California Pinot I have tasted in some time, this wine has none of the tomato-y, stewed qualities that so many from down there have. I’m not trying to be a chauvinist here, either, it’s just that I like my Pinot like I like my dinner companions: intelligent, feminine, complex, and light. I’m not a fan of opaque Pinot Noir, in other words. This beauty, though… The nose is all wild strawberries and hazelnuts, and these flavors coil around a core of wonderful citron acidity and river stones, finishing with a fan of mouthwatering minerality, soooo delicate and pretty. This is the real deal, folks.

2007 Radio-Coteau Syrah Las Colinas Sonoma Coast $50
The soft, pencil-lead and boysenberry nose of this wine immediately made me think of the Syrahs of Ojai, from much further south. There is a counter-intuitive melding of the massive and delicate here that I have really only encountered in high-end Callie Syrahs. They’re much different than anything from Australia or Washington in that regard. Fruit-forward, yet finesse-driven, this is a wonderful, elegant wine.

2007 LIOCO Indica Mendocino $20
A smoking little blend (yeah, I went there) of Carignane, Petit Sirah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache that’s way too balanced and light for its own good. It’s a wine all about bright, sunny wild cherries, with a balancing note of earth and acid. A great value in this style of wine.

2005 Stolpman Sangiovese $37 (Santa Barbara)
I haven’t loved a Cal-Ital this much since I used to get Jim Clendenen’s Bricco Buon Natale wines, which were a similar riot of structure, earth, and acidity. The nose shows beautiful cranberry lift, stones-after-rain, and cherryskins. On the palate the wine is richer, but maintains its bloody focus, passing through sheets of blueberries into a head-spinning finish that is long and mineral-driven, with a tiny hit of sweetness on the very end. What a tremendous food wine!

2004 Farella-Park Merlot Napa Valley $25
I have to say, it’s not often that my notes for a Napa Valley Merlot begin with WOW! …that said, it’s exactly the right word in this case. Filled with layers upon layers of high-tone fruit that entwine with tarry, almost Primitivo-like flavors, while never being ponderous or stewy, the wine glides effortlessly through maritime notes and oolong tea leaves, into a finish with perfect balance and eminent restraint. Very nice indeed, the most exciting Merlot I've had in some time.

2008 Arnot-Roberts Chardonnay North Coast $34 (no oak)
A bit of funky terroir in the nose opens up into beautiful, starry acidity and lip-smacking Meyer lemon purity. Lithe and racy while maintaining a silky texture on the tongue, this is a Chard for folks who think they don’t like Chard. And, yes, it was made in 100% stainless steel. Very impressive.

2007 Arnot-Roberts Syrah California $37
The nose here is all bloody, erotic funk that Frenchifies (not French fries, mind you) upon aeration, leaning into peppery cherryskins. On the tongue it’s all flesh and dark berries, with gorgeous, briny Rhône-style Syrah fruit bursting with Californian exuberance. Plush in the mouth, the finish is clean and middle-length.

…and my star winery at the tasting, Tres Sabores…Biodynamic, northeastern facings… Complete and total yumminess, across the board…

Tres Sabores
2007 Sauvignon Blanc “Farina” Sonoma Mountain $20
Hands-down, my favorite Californian Sauv Blanc ever. I like grassiness, but there is none. I do not like cat piss, and there’s also none of that. Even the tendency to slough over into Kiwi tropicality is avoided here. Instead, what you have is a gorgeous, cool-climate white wine grown on very poor soil, and it shows. The wine sings with big, bright limes and fresh mandarins, with a Buddha’s hand citron hit at the back. Chalky minerality, sage leaves, and bright acids knit the whole thing together. Yes yes yes! And at this price? Whew…

2006 ¿Porque No? Zinfandel Blend $24
You’ll first notice the wonderful, airy lightness of this wine. Dark cherries and dried apricots preen, bustling into a plush finish with just the right savory hit at the end. Zinophiles rejoice! Zinophobes, come closer, ¿Porque No? won’t hurt you…

2005 Zinfandel Rutherford $33
The nose is all damiana flowers over bloody, grilled oranges, floral and showing great pedigree. In the mouth, the degree of subtlety and grace with which such a usually heavy grape is handled is nearly astonishing. No cola or Dr. Pepper here, this is all bright red berries and earth, with a wonderfully acidic finish, not at all heavy.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Perspective Rutherford $69
This almost magnificent cab shows a big, brooding, glowing-ember core of cherries and mossy sage, with animal eroticism and wet stones as undertone. Pencil lead terroir and concupiscent acidity coil like a cat’s tail around gorgeous, deep red fruits (think more red currant and less cassis). This will age with great beauty, though she is a massive temptress right now. Maybe you should lay in a half-case, just to be safe.

California goodness! Website frustration, though, still working on that… Coming soon!

But there is an important non-wine-related date looming on the horizon, the Relay For Life! Join our lovely sisters in their fight against breast cancer, and get some exercise while you’re at it.

SW Neighborhoods Relay for Life
July 18-19th
10am-10am
Sign up your team at www.relayforlife.org/swneighborhoodsor
...or just come check out the event anytime that day...
There will be bands, food, movies, a silent auction from 2-5pm, and a luminaria ceremony at 10pm.
We need your help, neighbors!

And remember, you can now follow me at twitter.com/riggs5000!

OK, I’m off into the golden afternoon, y’all, a glass of Evesham Wood Vin d’Une Nuit Rosé of Tempranillo all a-bead in my hand. I wish you a pleasant, safe weekend, and we’ll see you real soon!

yrs,
Riggs

--
Riggs Fulmer
Wine. Words. Music.

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
-Aristophanes

RFN # 14, pub. 6/11/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter

No. 14
June 11, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Friends, the nexus of May/June can be one of the most climactically irritating on the calendar, bi-polar as the weather is this time of year. Fifty degrees and drizzle upon awakening, then a humid sun-break in the afternoon when the temperature soars into the eighties, leaving you all a-sweat in your long sleeves and trousers. Of course, that’s the price we pay to live in paradise, and if you think it’s bad out here, move to the Mississippi Valley for a year, or maybe Washington D.C, where you have no idea on any given day what the heck the sky will look like.

Personally, I don’t mind the clouds- but only on days like today, as they tend to distract me from my newslettering duties. That was NOT the case with last week, by the way; I just didn’t have anything for you. This week, however, is a different animal, friends. Having been to tastings all across town, including the inestimable Storyteller Wines (5511-B SW Hood, PDX; www.storytellerwine.com) and Bar Avignon (2138 SE Division, PDX; www.baravignon.com), and one big boy at 28th Avenue’s own Navarre, I have much wine to discuss with you.

But, without farther adieu (gotta love that self-defecating humor, right?), on we go to the wine. This week, as I mentioned, I was lucky and most pleased to be invited to an amazing Spanish winetasting by my friends at Triage:

José Pastor Selections, hosted by Triage Wines, at Navarre

Navarre (10 NE 28th, PDX; navarreportland.blogspot.com) is a great little restaurant, and by little I don’t mean to condescend- it’s actually a cozy space right off of East Burnside. The food is wonderful, and plentiful, and the staff suitably lovely. But this last Tuesday the place was brim-full of some of the most exciting Spanish wines I’ve tasted in years.

José Pastor is a man after my own heart, it seems. I’m kind of a terroir slut, as you may have noticed these past months, and when I read a guy write this about his selections, I have to smile, “Our producers emphasize Spain’s indigenous grape varietals and above all else, work with their land to handcraft honest wines with a sense of place. To this end, they use indigenous yeast during fermentation, and oak treatment and filtering is kept to a minimum.” Ah, Señor Pastor, your wisdom rings like poetry in my ears… Okay, I’m gushing again, but this was an afternoon of great juice. Before we begin, know that many of these wines are quite rare, and need to be special-ordered. Call your local wine-shop for availability, and do not hesitate, as these wines will not be around forever…

2001 Castell Sant Antoni Cava Gran Reserva $43
In Sideways, as the two gadabouts perch on the tasting room bar at Sanford, Miles archly declares, “Usually they start you out on wines with training wheels, but this…” I felt much the same way to be knocked out of my socks by the first wine on the table, this exquisite Cava. Gorgeous and expressive, with delicate mousse, the limeflowers-and-bread nose hangs over a core of positively Champagne-like structure and effortless, grin-worthy length.

2008 Urki Txacoli Blanco $22 (Getariako Txacolina)
Basque wine! Kerouac once wrote “Les poissons de la mer parlent breton,” but I bet they actually speak Txacoli, as there are arguably no finer wines with seafood than these gems from the shores of the Bay of Biscay, just west of the land’s great northward turn into France. This wine is textbook Txacoli, which is to say a riot of wonderfully steely maritime stones, killer acidity with Meyer lemon lift, and a long, crisp finish full of dancing minerality.

2008 Masia de Bielsa Tinto $13 (Campo de Borja)
I loves me some inexpensive Garnacha, it’s true, even if they can be a little one-trick-pony in their iteration. What do you expect, right? Well, I did not expect this wine to be anything like as affordable as it is when I tasted it. The bouquet was pretty, red berries and blood, while on the tongue it’s floral and earthy, with an actual minerality to its black raspberry finish. Lay this one in by the case.

German Gilabert Cava and Cava Rosé (NV) $16
These two gems are the best values in bubbly I’ve seen in a looong time. Hey, Cristalino’s great, but if you can get five times the wine for just under twice the price…? The white is beautiful, all lime skins and stones, and the pink, made from 100% Trepat, is an epiphany of wild cherries and mountain strawberries, wound around a core of citrus and minerals. Just awesome, both of them.

2006 Mas de Negre $24 (Priorat)
When I go to Spain, I plan to spend a lot of time in my favorite Iberian wine region, the Priorat. Topographically, linguistically, and also organoleptically, this region offers something of a mash-up of Mediterranean France and Spain. How can you go wrong? This wine, a blend of Cinsault and Garnacha, shows pretty French cherries, bloody roses, and silky tannins, with a clean, meat-loving finish. 100% organic juice. Very nice indeed.

2008 Verasol MCS $11 (Jumilla)
This little Monastrell-driven gem is a fantastic value. The wine’s robe is a lovely, almost fluorescent purple, and in the mouth it’s fresh and bright, berries and garrigue herbs, with great length. Yum!

2007 Enología Temera Alodio $18 (Ribeira Sacra)
The Ribeira Sacra is in many ways the most exciting up-and-coming wine region in Europe. Ancient vines of a noble indigenous varietal (Mencia), steep, craggy vineyards, exceptional climate… an importer’s dream! This wine shows sweet, spicy stones with thrilling boysenberry concentration and bright, lifting acids. Yum!

2005 Enología Temera “Temera” VV Mencia $30 (Ribeira Sacra)
Old-vine Mencia from the precipitous slopes above the River Sil, this wine was aged in cherry wood (!), and is indeed as distinctive and charming as you’d imagine. An explosion of raspberries and fresh garden roses, this is a lot like a Spanish version of Lacrima di Morro d’Alba in its floral cascade. Like God’s own rose pastilles, this amazing wine must be tasted to be believed.

Guímaro (Ribeira Sacra)
2007 Blanco $30
2008 Mencia $18
2007 Mencia, old vines $43
2007 Mencia, old vines, single-cluster fermented $43
These wines are all so amazing that I had to write them up en masse. If that seems a little counter-intuitive, consider that the incredible, positively French styling of these wines (which remain solidly Spanish all the while) is their earmark, top to bottom. The white, composed of 80% Godello and 20% Treixadura, has a nutty, Arbois-like nose, with fresh coconuts that are reminiscent of an excellent daiginjo sake. The reds, all 100% Mencia, are celebrations of glorious limpid cherry flavors, white peppercorns, bacon fat, earth, blood, minerals, roses… The whole-cluster in particular would be a great ringer for your next Northern Rhône tasting. I only describe them in Gallic terms for want of the proper vocabulary- these wines will surely coin a phrase or two two of their own over the next few years. This is a winery to be watched.

2008 Tajinaste Listán Negro Tradicional $22 (Tenerife)
The oldest stocks of the grape used here, Listán negro, were planted on the estate back in 1914. Though the majority of the juice here comes from much younger vines, the expression of site is unmistakable, and welcome. Great clarity and vibrant color greet the eye, while on the tongue it’s all gushing wild cherries, salmonberries, and black peppercorns. Delicate and finesse-driven, this completely un-oaked red is one that could easily pair with hearty seafood.

2008 Primitivo Quiles “Cono 4” $13 (Alicante)
Please, hispanophones, no dirty jokes about the name. “Conos” are the type of foudres used in the production of this precocious little wine, made in the joven style, which, as the name implies, is all about freshness. What a value here! Who ever thought Monastrell could masquerade as Bourgogne Rouge, all round cola and sweet cherries, with a touch of sotto bosco and minerals? Now I believe.

Herederos de Argüeso (Sanlucar de Barrameda)
San Leon Clasica Manzanilla (375mL) $10
Argüeso Amontillado $29
Argüeso Oloroso $29
Argüeso Amontillado Viejo VORS $160
What better way to finish than with the mind-expanding sherries of Herederos de Argüeso? If you haven’t discovered Sherry yet, do yourself a favor and do it now. For one thing, you will likely be surprised at how dry they are, particularly Manzanillas. Argüeso's version shows wonderful oceanic acids and roasted nuts, with a long, refreshing, herbal finish- and is a tremendous value, to boot. The Amontillado is a smoky, earthy explosion of raw almonds and roasted hazelnuts, with sun-bright citric acidity and incredible length. The Oloroso combines these flavors with positively R-rated sexy, animal flesh, erotic and compelling. But the dazzling Amontillado Viejo… Wow. A stunning cascade of cedar fronds, stones, roasted chestnuts, cherryskins, and clean, intimate, salty flesh. Soooo lifted, a poem in a bottle, completely inspiring; the wine makes you feel as though you’ve just fallen in love. My notes peter out, bemused and almost shell-shocked, “Agate ocean breeze, gleaming sunny olive acids, orgasmic length…” Yes.

Basta, basta! On to comestibles!

The Village Hut Neighborhood Grill
7674 SW Capitol Hwy, PDX
503.768.3975

This charming little space, just a building away from the Lucky Lab in Multnomah Village, is pretty easy to overlook, as I did for some time after moving to the Village. One visit changed all that. Not only does the place immediately welcome you with its rough-hewn aesthetic, all swinging screen doors and a staff that is genuinely happy to see you, but it opens up to a beautiful open-air seating section in the back that could easy seat almost thirty. And, oh yeah, the food is damn good too: this is the best bento shack I've ever found!
Specials boards trumpet an amazing array of proteins: wild ahi, halibut, lamb, tempeh, tofu, all available on a bed of crisp salad greens, or delicious, made-to-order stirfries, heady with lifting garlic and a constellation of broccoli, zucchini, and sweet onions. You might just be driven mad with hunger as you wait for your food, much of it grilled out in the air on the back deck, filling the place with its aromas- which is not to say the wait is long. Remember, though, that there is often only one cook, and portions are made to order, so plan accordingly. To-go portions are huge, and come with a green salad and a gleaming wedge of summer-sweet watermelon. Prices range from $7-$12, and their selection of beers and wines is small, but excellent. On a recent visit I saw Reverdito Barbera and Sierra Nevada Summerfest lager- perfect!
The nest time you’re in the Village, make sure to give them a try. You’ll be glad you did, and so will the friendly, engaging owner, J. Harris, or “chief cook and bottle washer,” as he dubs himself. Tell ‘em the RFN sent you.

and while I'm thinking of it...

If you’re looking for a new movie and album to check out, look no further.

Rent “Let The Right One In” (“Låt den rätte komma in”) immediately. It is the most creative vampire movie I have ever seen, set in the stark drifts and brick of Sweden. A love story between an 12-year-old boy, bullied by his classmates, and a mysterious dark-haired girl with eyes liquid and glowing as an artic pond at dusk, who has somewhat esoteric culinary tastes…

For your new album, I’m offering up an old jewel I recently found for the first time, David Crosby’s lovely, intimate recording “If I Could Only Remember My Name.” This is his first solo work, although “solo” is a misnomer, as it features the Great Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra, which includes Jerry Garcia, Joni Mitchell, Jorma Kaukonen, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, and others. Songs like “Crying” and “Traction in the Rain” positively drip with early-Seventies sensuality, set in the redwood groves of Marin County, with plush harmonies and blushing, plaintive instrumentation. There's even an autoharp on here! Short and sweet at 37 minutes, this is good kissin’ music, if you time it right…

Well, that’s enough for now, friends. There are fewer wines to discuss next week, so we’ll move beer, camping tips, and CoTM to Issue # 15.

And remember that our local Relay For Life crew are holding their big event to benefit breast cancer treatment and awareness on July 18-19, right up the road at Wilson High School. Information can be had at John’s Marketplace, the Lucky Lab, and throughout the Village; or you can contact me here, and I will point you in the right direction. More to come!

Have a beautiful, safe weekend, friends! We’ll see you next week…

Yrs,
Riggs

--
Riggs Fulmer
Wine. Words. Music.

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
-Aristophanes

RFN # 13, pub. 5/30/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 13
May 29, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Short and sweet, this week, friends, short and sweet. I haven’t been to any full tastings in a minute or so, and have been dealing with some roommate-finding issues over this way… and I know you don’t want an entire Newsletter full of my ramblings… Once prolix, now terse, we forge on:

The one event I did attend was the UEFA Champions League Final, held (shown) at Agency Sports Guild, a toney little spot just across the street from PGE Park. It was a festive day in general; the Beavers were playing to what sounded like a Jonas Brothers crowd (I think it was Take Your Middle-Schooler To The Game day or something), the sun was high, and I was ready not only to see Messi versus Ronaldo- having read no less than two articles on the tilt, I am now a socc.. ahem, futbol expert- but also to taste some delicious wines from Scott Paul. Hosted by Mr. Wright of the aforementioned winery and Michael Alberty of Storyteller Wines, it was a heck of a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Scott was pouring a mini-vertical of Audrey Pinot Noir, and Michael had brought some regionally-appropriate wines (it was a pro-Barça crowd, definitively), to wit:

2004 Scott Paul Audrey Pinot Noir
The nose was expansive, a big, piercing blast of boysenberry and raspberries, round and pure, underset by a waft of blueberry skins and forest floor. On the palate it was soft and silky, with roasty dark cherry flavors coiling together on the clean finish.

2005 Audrey
The bouquet was all starry, sanguine wild cherries, with a soft hit of green peppercorns. In the mouth it was leaner than the ’04, lithe and poised, with greater lift. Sweet strawberries and cherries abound, and the finish is hung with silky tannins. Almost mamages to be thirst-quenching!

2006 Audrey
This was the one I ended up drinking the most of- although that’s as likely because everyone else downed the 2005 as anything else… No, to quote Bill Maher, I kid, I kid, for the 2006 was maybe my favorite. The nose was a riot of sexy, enticing mossy black cherry. In the mouth it preened like kirsch liqueur, with wonderfully sunny, bright acidity and wonderful length.

…and before we go I need to announce tomorrow's upcoming Beer Tasting…

HEATER-ALLEN TASTING, SAT, 5/30, at STORYTELLER WINES
12-5 PM 5511-B SW Hood, PDX
www.storytellerwine.com
www.heaterallen.com

And I quote, “This Saturday, May 30th we will be tasting all the new Heater-Allen batches at Storyteller. Noon to 5PM. 2009 IsarWeizen, Mediator Doppelbock, Pils, Schwartz and more! No charge. Not even for you, Riggs. Alert the Maltoids and hopheads!”
Now, I’m not sure what a maltoid is- wait, those are those curiously strong English mints, right?- or why I should be expected to pay a stiff fee to attend, but I can assure you that I will make the time to stop in there and taste these beers. Brewed out in wine country, they are the finest German-style beers in the state. Hell, if you throw Berkeley’s Trumer Pils out, they’re the best I’ve had from anywhere other than Deutschland.
Be there! It’s gonna be blazing hot anyway, perfect for lager!

All right, friends, into the Purple World go I! Happy Weekend, and kudos to those of you who managed to make it out to go tasting last weekend. A dear friend described it as “absolute perfection.” Sorry I missed it!

--
Riggs Fulmer
Wine. Words. Music.

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
-Aristophanes

RFN # 12, pub. 5/21/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 12
May 21, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Well, friends, I’m returned from my sojourn in the steamy southlands, having suffered gas station food, sunburn, hives, and California drivers along the way. It was well worth the trip, although I have absolutely nothing of vinous import to impart, unless you count the Thai restaurant review I promised. I visited Siam Lotus, on Haight Street, and I’ll give you the skinny post wine.

But, without furthur ado (ahem), let’s get back to what’s important: Italian wine! Just a few golden weeks ago, at the fabulous Italian winetasting I attended courtesy of Triage, I tasted some of the most delicious, esoteric Oenotrian wines I’ve had in some time, to wit:

Degustazione di Vino Italiano, Triage Wines

This was, as I mentioned, a great tasting. The folks over at Triage are known for such, and this one was typical, from the huge boulder of Reggiano to the brilliant array of completely interesting, extra-Piemontese wines. I’ll get it started with a reprise of the two wines from this tasting I’ve already written up…

2007 Muri-Gries Lagrein Rosato $14 (Südtirol)
This rosato sees no skin maceration at all- the free-run juice is already pink in color. This wine is actually their traditional wine; they did not make a red Lagrein until recent years, in response to international demand. Made to this day by monks, this little charmer preens with cranberries and summer hay. On the palate its minerality will make you blush, twining around and through blueberries, fresh melon, and mossy stones. Soft, but with excellent lift, this is a wonderful rosé.

2006 Lonardo Grecomusc’ Campania Bianco IGT $27 (Campagna)
Grecomusc’ (pron. Grek-o-moosh) is an indigenous white grape to the region. This is the first I’ve had, and I shore do hope it ain’t the last! The nose only hints at the sunny opulence below, all sweet papaya skins and banana. Then comes the breathtaking, mouth-watering cascade of galactic minerality, starfruit, and gushing key limes and citron zest. My notes read, “Gorgeous! Say it again! Gorgeous!”

…and now, the best values…

2006 Felline Alberello Rosso Salento $10 (Puglia)
A regionally typical blend of Primitivo and Negroamaro, this bloody little gem is a perfect burgers-and-steak wine. Its sweet, stewed, Amaron-y cherries call out for grilled flesh, and there’s even a touch of minerality to the finish. Very nice.

2006 Montellori Chianti DOCG $12
Perfect, thirst-quenching Chianti, possessed of old-school structure, but hung on a graceful, new-styled frame. The wine is all sexy, animal leather and black cherries, with wonderful minerals and typically Italian earth in the mouth.

…and the highlights…

2006 Camillo Donati Malvasia dell’Amelia $18 (Emilia-Romagna)
A beautiful nose of hops and spring flowers is knit with rich cedar and dried herbs. This lightly sparkling wine is slightly cloudy, and a darker amber hue than most bubblies. This is due to extended maceration- indeed, the house vinifies their reds and whites in the same fashion. Persistent and absolutely delicious, this wine is in many ways reminiscent of a dry Belgian Saison ale. The long, dry finish goes on and on.

2006 Ca’ de Noci Bianco Frizzante Querciole $25 (Emilia-Romagna)
This wine is 100% Spergola, a native white grape possessed of naturally high acidity, making it particularly well-suited for sparkling wines. A big, bold, cheesy nose of Reggiano and stones hovers over a piercing, sexy sourness. 10 days’ maceration on the skins and unfiltered bottling make this an esoteric, animal little beauty, quite worth seeking out.

2006 La Biancara di Angiolino Maule Pico $35 (Veneto)
Almost like a super-Soave, this Garganega wine has the kind of R-rated nose that initiates crave…as do the shamelessly concupiscent. The nose is cheerfully dirty, showing sexy flesh, hops, and lemons. In the mouth it twirls and preens, completely pretty, all stones and limes, with excellent length and lip-tickling acidity.

2006 Noussan Torrette $28 (Vallé d’Aoste)
What a remarkable red wine! Composed of indigenous varietals (Petit Rouge, Cornalin, and Vien de Nus), the juice is a celebration of sweet, piercing dark cherry and Italian blueberries. Gorgeous and expansive in the mouth, it flaunts perfect minerality on its medium-long finish. So sexy and delicious- yum!

2002 Rainoldi Valtellina Superiore Riserva “Sassella” $35 (Lombardia)
The locals here claim that Nebbiolo, or, as they call it here, Chiavennasca, is native to this northern region, that the Piemontese are mere upstarts with the grape. Whatever the truth, they make some really nice wines from it up in the mountains. This one, smelling for all the world like a well-aged Oregon Pinot, but with darker fruit, shows wonderful expanse. It is a wash of delicious herbs, cherries, and blood, a deft balance of weight and lift.

2004 Nusserhof Lagrein Riserva $25 (Südtirol)
Always one of my favorite Lagreins, this wine is all cherry compote and chocolate, sotto bosco blood and jam. The finish, alive with starry acids, has a killer wild cherry minerality. Unusually light on its feet, this is a beautifully serious wine.

2005 Montesecondo Chianti Classico $25
A geeky, delicious celebration of old world Chianti. The nose is all barnyard trumpet oil and cherryskins, while in the mouth the hops, blood, and wild cherries show fabulous extraction, and a surprising fan of roasted nuts graces the finish. Raw and refined- classically Tuscan.

2006 Occhipinti Siccagno Nero d’Avola $36 (Sicily)
Maybe the best Nero d’Avola I’ve ever had, the grapes for this wine are grown at the very edges of vegetative possibility, high in the arid crags of the Sicilian mountains. This wine, in its sexy, feminine complexity, is like a desert flower. Its savage beauty sings of sweet black raspberries and stones, bloody roses, wild cherries, and the Mediterranean wind. Not too heavy, with great balance… OK, I’m smitten, what can I say?

...all right, now you’re ready for my

WHERE TO EAT THAI WHEN ROAMING THE UPPER HAIGHT RECOMMENDATION

Have you ever wondered where to eat Thai when roaming the Upper Haight? Nothing will complement that bag of incense in your hand like the succulent, spicy fare at Siam Lotus Thai Cuisine (1705 Haight St., San Francisco, CA). The specials board is awash in yummy seafood, and all the hits are seemingly available, as I found when I ordered their pad ga prau (spicy basil). The tofu was perfectly fried, the vegetables plentiful and fresh, and the spicy brown sauce was lifted by the abundance of fragrant basil leaves. And, at $12 with a soda, not too bad a deal when visiting the big city. It was a lot better than the $9 torta I experienced the next day!

OK, then. Sorry if you were hoping for all sorts of juicy stories from my adventures on the Bus, but it was really quite a tame little voyage. Our driver is a born-again Christian teetotaler, after all! This did cut into my plans to finally get some use out of my albariño thermos, but I made it through nonetheless.

I hope the week away from the RFN found you all well; personally, I’m feeling just like Nixon: tanned, rested, and ready! We’ll see you next week. Have a great, safe weekend.

And remember to check out all the action over at The Purple World: http://riggsfulmerwine.blogspot.com !

--
Riggs Fulmer
Wine. Words. Music.

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
-Aristophanes

RFN # 11, pub. 5/7/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 11
May 7, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Big news, friends, big big news! The Newsletter has finally made the great leap to the internets, or at least found its own apartment there. I am pleased to announce the launch of my new website, The Purple World, which will be an expanded version of the RFN, basically. At this point we’re still in the beta phase, I guess (I’m going to pretend that I know what that means, I heard a computer guy say it once), but it will grow with us all. You will find back issues of the Newsletter, as well as expanded commentary and more detailed tasting notes- at least once I get there! The url is http://riggsfulmerwine.blogspot.com. I look forward to getting an actual big-boy site up and running soon, so stay tuned for that. Until then, the googleverse will have to suffice!

However, this week’s RFN is basically just going to serve as an entrée to The Purple World, as a huge batch of news has just ripened and dropped into my lap… Let’s just say it involves me getting in the ’91 Tercel posthaste, driving to Vancouver, then to Milwaukie, then to Pleasant Hill, and eventually ending up, guitar in hand, outside a brightly-painted bus south of San Francisco. Tough work, but someone’s got to do it, brothers and sisters, and it will be my honor to represent the greater RFN community to the fullest. Unfortunately I’m not really being paid much for my services, so it’s unlikely you’ll get a scintillating review of The Slanted Door or a super-hip SF winebar, but you just might get an article about a strip-mall Thai place. Fingers crossed!

There are big wine things for us to discuss as well, including the amazing Triage tasting from last week, and, of course, the Portland Indie Wine Fest! These events both deserve detailed coverage, which they’ll get next week, but here are a few tidbits to tide you over until then…

From Triage:

2007 Muri-Gries Lagrein Rosato $14 (Südtirol, Italy)
This rosato sees no skin maceration at all- the free-run juice is already pink in color. This wine is actually their traditional wine; they did not make a red Lagrein until recent years, in response to international demand. Made to this day by monks, this little charmer preens with cranberries and summer hay. On the palate its minerality will make you blush, twining around and through blueberries, fresh melon, and mossy stones. Soft, but with excellent lift, this is a wonderful rosé.

2006 Lonardo Grecomusc’ Campania Bianco IGT $27 (Campagna, Italy)
Grecomusc’ (pron. Grek-o-moosh) is an indigenous white grape to the region. This is the first I’ve had, and I shore do hope it ain’t the last! The nose only hints at the sunny opulence below, all sweet papaya skins and banana. Then comes the breathtaking, mouth-watering cascade of galactic minerality, starfruit, and gushing key limes and citron zest. My notes read, “Gorgeous! Say it again! Gorgeous!”

And, from the Indie Wine Fest:

2007 Thistle Wines Pinot Blanc
One of my favorite Oregon whites year after year, and this year is no exception. A celebration of limpid flavors and bright acidity, the nose is alive with lemon meringue and pain grillé. On the palate this flavors continue on, with surprising richness up against a racy spine of rippling minerals and earth. Perfectly balanced.

2007 J. Scott Cellars Viognier
Jonathon Scott has struck out on his own, which is not to say this Vio of his isn’t a home run. Up and over the right field wall at new Yankee Stadium it flies… OK, enough with the baseball metaphors. This is Viognier made with an almost German sensibility, its typical, delicate stonefruit flavors and hit of residual sugar perfectly balanced against wonderful acidity and minerals. But the real beauty is in its airy lightness on the tongue. The bit of sugar is compelling rather than cloying, a perfect foil to spicy Asian cuisine, for instance. Try it with, say, prawns Kung Pao, and you’ll see just what I mean.

All right, friends, I’ve got to get on the road. I can’t say I’m not beside myself with excitement, but I am sorry to cut our time together short. I’ll be back up and running next week, with anecdotes and updates from the great south country, and maybe a review of the Shins’ shows up here at the Crystal Ballroom (their cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless” last night was as lovely a version of that song as I’ve ever heard).

Happy Weekend, here’s wishing you barrels and barrels- nay, botti-full!- of sunshine… And, to those of you in Columbia, South Carolina, who are being graduated this weekend, congratulations- and make sure to watch out for those pesky cell phone cameras! Just ask that Phelps guy…

A più tardi!
yrs,
Riggs

RFN # 10, pub. 5/1/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 10
May 1, 2009
!May Day Edition!

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

***EDITOR'S NOTE: Redact the following section*** Good afternoon, friends. I hope you’re all reading this in the wee hours, having spent the day out and about in the fickle May sunshine. I sat in my parking lot for ten minutes, does that count as a lazy day in the sun? It’s going to have to, because more than the sunshine is looming on my day’s horizon- there’s a little tilt down Houston way this evening that has me all a-twitter (in the pre-2007 sense of the word), so I’d better put nose to grindstone immediately, lest I devolve into a series of increasingly irritating basketball metaphors. Who wants to read about acids boxing out residual sugar, or Cab Franc taking it to the hole? Not me. The very idea has my keyboard sneering back at me, so I’ll respond to her admonition and get right down to work.

Well, we all know how that turned out, don’t we? In fact, the delay of the RFN this week was in pure sympathy with our metaphorically fallen warriors, slain by the foul southern Redcoats. Oh well. If there were only an elixir that, if it couldn’t purge our sorrow, could at least dull its edges and allow us to proceed into the weekend dry-eyed… Oh yeah, wine!

Frederick Wildman and Sons, Spring Tasting at the Museum of Contemporary Craft

Last week I promised coverage of the excellent Wildman tasting, made possible by the mad geniuses at Odom, that followed on the heels of our yummy luncheon at Ten01- and here it is. Held just off the North Park Blocks at the beautiful Museum of Contemporary Craft (724 NW Davis, www.museumofcontemporarycraft.com) on a sunny day not unlike this one, the tasting promised to be excellent. As I mounted the stairs through a rainforest of plush green crochet, pendulous lianas of yarn that hung from high ceiling to floor, I knew I was in for it. This place really is lovely, with warm, attentive staff who never seem to project the “ahem, can I help you?” vibe that cools the air in many a like installation.

Upstairs, in a clean, minimally decorated room, Cynthia Challacombe and crew held court over a fascinating array of wines from the New and Old Worlds. These were my favorites:

2007 Nino Negri Ca’Brione Bianco $34
An absolutely fascinating blend of “white” Nebbiolo (a Valtellina specialty, it seems, made from free-run juice, thus no color extraction), dried Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. The nose has a rich, sylvan hit of honeycomb and anise; these flavors perch calmly over an underpinning of tropical minerality and creamy pineapple earth, with a long, round finish.

2005 Nino Negri Quadrio Valtellina Superiore $22
Made up predominantly of the local version of Nebbiolo, known as Chiavennasca (pron. Kya-ven-ask-a), fleshed out with around 10% Merlot, this wine shows a nicely limpid robe and meaty nose. Expressively herbal and cherried in the mouth, the finish is all stones and minerals.

2006 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre “Sauvage” $34
Jolivet is a local star in the Loire Valley, his Sauvignons among the most distinctive and freshest in expression. With this one, the nose sings with sweet, creamy limeflowers. On the palate it shows bright key limes, fiddlehead ferns/ sotto bosco, and stones; sweet fruit hovering over hard citrus candies, with kissing, soft acids on the finish.

2003 Domaine de Lagrézette Château Lagrézette $31
Is this Malbec as God intended? Maybe not exactly, as it also sees a small amount of Merlot and a drop or two of Tannat. Whatever its divine street cred, this serious little wine is about as affordable as a wine can be that will effortlessly age a decade and a half. Basically Cahors, it shows brick, clay, dried cranberries, and cacao in the nose. On the palate it’s all about broad-shouldered earth, with suitably muscular tannins and blueberry skins, and a long, food-loving finish. Drink now, or even better, wait 5-10 years…

2007 Egon Müller Scharzhof Riesling $25
Perfect German Riesling. How can one country produce so much perfect wine? I think those who produce clunkers are immediately relegated to the bowels of some government mail room for breaking wine regulations. Whatever the cause, the proof is in the pudding. This little gem is gorgeous and full of light, with intense, bright, creamy Pink Lady acidity on the long, earthy finish.

This week I attended a tasting hosted by one of my favorites, Triage Wines, over by their warehouse off of Interstate. The tasting was amazing, and featured non-Piemontese Italian wines, including one of the most interesting bubblies I’ve ever tasted. The tasting deserves its own column entire, and I’ll cover the event in detail next week, but I can’t wait to share a wine that must now take its place in the ever-expanding Summer Value pantheon. This week it’s a red wine, your first new BBQ wine of the season, though more than serious enough to handle more uppity fare…

2006 Montellori Chianti DOCG $12
This organically-grown Chianti offers more Tuscan stuffing per dollar than any wine in recent memory. Not a New Worldy super-extracted oakbomb, but rather an elegant, rustic interpretation of its birthplace, the nose is all sexy, animal leather and black cherries. Under these aromas swirl delicately savage flavors of blood, tobacco box, and cherry, a cascade of wonderful minerality and Italian earth. Ridiculously good at this price.

For the sake of mnemonic stimulus, here are the two Summer Value Whites, revisited:

2007 Oisly-et-Thesée Touraine $9 (Loire Valley)
Distributed by Grape Expectations, this wine is pure, citric Sauv Blanc juice, unencumbered by wood or heavy handling. It just glows with white grapefruit, apple skins, starfruit, and stones-after-rain, with a lip-smacking finish of perfect minerality and acids. At this price, there is no finer wine of this varietal.

2005 Tim Adams Riesling $10 (Clare Valley, Australia)
Dry like Alsatians or Austrians, yet unmistakably Clare Valley, this wine is textbook Riesling in the nose: slate, sunny lemons, briny acidity, and a waft of terroir. On the tongue it is almost bursting with elegant freshness, with a wash of wonderful minerals that only grows brighter as the wine unwinds in the glass. I know a certain caviste at a famous beer/ wine store in Multnomah Village who just might have lots of this wine…

All right, back to Blazer mourning for a minute or two. Seriously, though, people, they did way better than any of us might have expected, and if we’d rather have had the Spurs (whom we’d doubtless have pounded into submission), it was good to get a real test and see the boys get banged around a little bit. I’m already fired up for next year! How can I wait…? Oh yeah, that one game with the pigskin… Those teams from Eugene and Phillie in midnight green... OK, I can handle it now.

Relay For Life First Friday Meet and Greet!

If you’re reading this on May Day, and you’re somewhere near Multnomah Village in SW Portland, make sure to stop by the booth of Relay For Life, right in front of the Lucky Labrador (7675 SW Capitol Hwy). Relay For Life is a wonderful charity contributing greatly to cancer research and survivor support- visit them to make a donation, find out more info, sponsor a Relay team, or just to chat with the charming, lovely young folks (wo)manning the booth. Grab a pint while you do so! They can tell you far more than I, but I’ll point out that their Relay is set to take place at Wilson High School on July 18-19, so you’d better get involved now. These are wonderful people with a powerful, urgent cause; even if no one you know has dealt with cancer, in today’s increasingly artificial world, where ersatz sweeteners and grotesque faux-fats clog our foods (and arteries!), cancer awareness and prevention are ever more important. Make yourself proud and stop by the Relay For Life booth, and tell ‘em the RFN sent you.

All right, then. I’m off to gaze wantonly at Mt. Hood while wiping away my tears with an old Theo Ratliff jersey (oh yeah, I liked them Blazers back when it was WAY uncool to do so… does that make me a Blazers hipster?), and then maybe some asparagus casserole, who knows? And, before I forget, go read some Marx or something. ‘Tis the season, right? Cue the Internationale…

Happy Weekend, friends, and look for big news next week in the Newsletter. See y’all then!

yrs,
Riggs

RFN # 9, pub. 4/23/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 9
April 23, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

There’s been a skirmish in the heavens all day, and I’ll freely admit that I’m taking advantage of every sun-break there is while writing to you today, friends, but there are nonetheless many exciting things to tell you about, so when the clouds have the upper hand (or whatever appendage a cloud might have), I’ll be back here at the helm, filling you in.

Despite the fact that, technically speaking, April’s Cuisine of the Month has been Mexican, and despite the mountains of suggested recipes that have been piling into my inbox, I am absolutely compelled to tell you about an amazing sushi place just off Stark… But that’s for later. First we must talk Champagne Lunch- and next week I’ll tell you all about the subsequent, much larger tasting in some detail.

Pol Roget Tasting 2009, by Frederick Wildman and Sons, at Ten01

I was beside myself to attend the amazing Pol Roget Luncheon last week, courtesy of Frederick Wildman and Sons. It took place at 2008’s Restaurant of the Year, Ten01 (1001 NW Couch St, PDX, http://www.ten-01.com), which was a perfectly elegant setting for such wonderful champagne. The food was breathtaking, a perfect match for these wines; many of us chose the special, aiguillette of halibut with arugula salad. The salad was elegant and simple, with shaved radishes and peppercorn vinaigrette, a perfect foil to the long, thin, perfectly broiled pieces of halibut, which were succulent and delicious. Topped with wildcrafted fiddlehead ferns, it was an exquisite Northwestern treat: too bad it was all us Oregonians noshing on that while our French host- the handsome Laurent d’Harcourt, Directeur Export at Pol Roget- had the scallops!

On to the wine:

Pol Roget is one of the premier Champagne houses, producing benchmark wines of impeccable class and expression. In existence in Epernay since 1849, their style is one of the most distinctive among the great houses. A cellar markedly deeper than many others in the region allows their wines to ferment at a lower temperature, producing their trademark fineness of mousse. Never compromising or altering their wines for export, they offer textbook purity and incredible consistency. In recent years, this is thanks largely to the efforts of their Chef de Cave, whom they lured from Krug in 1999, Dominique Petit. M. Petit is “not always smiling, not speaking any English,” but is a genius at his work with a clear vision and steady hand. These wines are not inexpensive, nor for the dilettante, but something much closer to works of art that are to be treasured in the drinking- all the while remaining fresh, charming and feminine. Very special indeed.

Pure Brut Non-Vintage $70
Responding to the challenge of French wine critics, this is Pol Roget’s non-dosage Champagne, allowed to ferment in total unadulteration. The nose is all bright lemons, almonds, and maritime breeze. On the palate it is super-clean, with rose petals and wonderful acidic lift. The finish is long, with nice terroir and roasted nuts.

Brut Reserve “White Foil” $54
For pure value this was my favorite wine here. I can think of few Champagnes that offer so much for so few ducats. Composed of equal parts Pinots Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, the nose is butterscotch, Meyer lemons, and fresh-baked baguette, twined around stargazer lilies. These flavors echo on the palate, here met with hazelnuts and long, sexy limeflowers and hops on the finish. So persistent and delicious!

Brut Vintage 1999 $99
Made up of 60/40 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which grapes come from 20 Grand and Premier Cru vineyards, this wine highlights the wonderful ’99 vintage in superb fashion. It’s all focused limes and spice, with starry acidity, fabulous yeasty elegance, and pedigree. A study in classic expression. Also damn yummy.

Brut Rosé 2000 $99
The pink color of this wine comes from the addition of approximately 15% Vin Rouge de Champagne, a still red wine from sites suited for such grapes (relatively few and far between in snowy Champagne). The rest is 50% Pinot Noir and 35% Chard. The color is blushing and lovely, and the nose is right in line, showing warm lemons and strawberry blossoms. Clean and round, nearly explosive Pinot fruit fills the mouth, all wild cherries and hopflowers. The long, thirst-quenchingly acidic finish shows notes of fresh spearmint.

Brut Blanc de Blancs 1999 $122
The Chardonnay for this gorgeous wine comes entirely from Grand Crus of the Côte des Blancs. Meant to be drunk young, it is a study in deftness and grace. The bouquet is a riot of cherryskins and cedarwood over flesh, citron, and white peppercorns. In the mouth it is positively R-rated, seething with exotic Burgundian lychee and Key limes, and a looooong, ultra-clean finish that leaves you ready for the next sip immediately.

Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1998 $250
Rarely have I tried a “flagship” wine that so thoroughly lived up to its billing. How often have we tried the Reserve of a wine we love, only to find it a ‘roided-up version of its little sister? That is emphatically not the case here. As the house literature says, “the wine is made with an approach very close to that of Sir Winston himself, ‘My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best.’” The bouquet is an exquisite, swirling cascade of roasted nuts, lemons, fresh lilies, and stones-after-rain- intoxicating in and of itself. I sat and smelled this wine for a good five minutes before I tasted it. On the palate, sweet fruit up front coils around wild cherries, walnuts, and limeflowers, with sun-bright acidity all over the long, clean finish. And, by the way, paired with the halibut aiguillette? Stunning.

Rich Non-Vintage $70
This is Pol Roget’s sweetest Champagne, basically an “Extra Dry” (which counter-intuitively means sweet, sigh). This is perfect for the lover of great bubbly who wants something a little softer- the wine really does feel “richer” than dryer-style Champers. The nose is dried apples and wildflowers over fresh-buttered bread and wet stones. On the palate it shows light sweetness to its generous, round fruit, but finishes smooth and almost dry.

All right, finished with lifestyles of the rich and famous? On to my latest recession-busting yummy white wine, an early contender to join last week’s Oisly-et-Thesée as another great Summer Value White:

2005 Tim Adams Riesling $10 (Clare Valley, Australia)
Are there still those among you who instantly think Riesling to be sweet? Cue Governor Palin, “Say it ain’t so…” OK, maybe don’t let’s get ole Sarah involved or somebody’s likely to get an backside full of buckshot. Anyway, this Riesling gives the lie to that saccharine notion- it is bone dry in the classically Australian fashion. Indeed, Australia is one of the world’s great Riesling-growing nations, which might be a little surprising. Dry like Alsatians or Austrians, yet unmistakably Clare Valley, this wine is textbook Riesling in the nose: slate, sunny lemons, briny acidity, and a waft of terroir. On the tongue it is just bursting with elegant freshness, with a wash of wonderful minerals that only grows brighter as the wine unwinds in the glass. I know a certain caviste at a famous beer/ wine store in Multnomah Village who just might have lots of this wine…

All right, the moment you’ve all doubtless been waiting for. My amazing sushi odyssey, the one I mentioned to you earlier? Why, it was right next door to Ken’s Artisan Pizza, at

Bamboo Sushi, 310 SE 28th, Portland
www.bamboosushipdx.com

Earlier in the warm Friday evening, at a fun, boisterous Rhône Valley tasting at Mt. Tabor Fine Wines (4316 SE Hawthorne), I heard this place mentioned. Apparently they had tuna carpaccio. We were hungry after all that Grenache, and thought, hell, let’s try it.
Good lord, I had no idea what I was in for! This killer spot is the first certified sustainable sushi restaurant in the United States, and we should be proud to have them right here in Portland. I have never had better sushi anywhere. My friend encouraged me that we wait for a spot at the bar, where the mad genius chefs would hook us up with the best stuff. Good idea. Gently browbeaten by my companion and somewhat intimidated by the intense hipster chef (who was as personable as humanly possible in the teeth of a rush, being peppered with questions), I gave over and tried things that would have been almost unthinkable to this southern Kentucky boy a few years ago. Raw quail egg! Aji mackerel! Things I couldn’t even identify- normally a complete deal-breaker for me, I’m embarrassed to say. And it was all, every single bite, phenomenal. A special shout-out has to go to the scallops, which were served raw in juniper-infused olive oil: the best scallops of my life. But the crown jewel? Remember how I mentioned that carpaccio earlier? (I’m having a moment of reverent silence here… OK, all set) Their Albacore Carpaccio was a nearly religious experience- and clearly a pagan one, seeing as it was like an instantaneous collage of the best kisses of my life… I’d say it was like making out with the Goddess, but that might offend some folks, so I’ll demur. This was the greatest new thing I’ve tried in recent memory. Thin, leaf-shaped slices of beautiful albacore glisten and entice on the plate, and in the center of each cut is a dollop of pure luxury: house-smoked cipollini onions, pickled shiitakes, momiji, ponzu, chervil, and Japanese sea salt. You fold the fish over this button of exquisite flavor, and into the mouth, where it melts on the tongue like butter, a crashing wave of smoke and salt that reminds of coastal bonfires, high, wild evenings under windy stars. It must be tasted to be believed. If you like sushi, hell, if you don’t think you do but might want to be educated, go here at once. On top of everything else about this beautiful place, the prices are competitive, the drinks stiff, and the service excellent. Tell ‘em the Newsletter sent you.

All right, folks, that’s about all for this week. I hope you’ve been out there in the sun, be-pinking your pallid rainforest cheeks. Here’s wishing you a safe, happy weekend, and we’ll see each other again next Thursday.

yrs,
Riggs

RFN # 8, pub. 4/16/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 8
April 16, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Well, friends, this issue is going to be a bit shorter than is its wont (although, admittedly, that might correspond with your want), as I won’t be attending a tasting during the early week, but rather the heavy, heavy obligation to join my friends from a certain excellent importer at their Champagne Luncheon this Thursday. As such, I don’t have the usual barrage of tasting notes for you, but I’ve got a few gems, and my pick (at least so far) for Top Summer Value White ’09. Yum to the yums, people, yum to the yums.

However, there is still plenty of work to be done, even if the sky is getting brighter with every hour, and behind those tired flowers a haze of fluorescent green is humming forth from the trees (maybe it’s the risotto: see my April Fool’s column for the Oregon Wine Press: http://www.oregonwinepress.com/index.php?pr=0409_13_Risotto); even if the river seems to slip along its banks with a smile, nose must meet grindstone, so I’ll shut the hell up and segue right into my short list of weekly picks, to wit:

I civilian’d my way into a local wine tasting and was delighted to run into none other than the talented young guitarslinging genius of the Portland wine scene (no, not Mr. Somers, the other one), Marc Garner of Lago di Merlo. Lago di Merlo is an excellent winery in Geyserville, CA, producing some tremendous values, as well as increasingly interesting higher-end offerings. Their Ca’ Bella line is, dollar for dollar, my favorite. They are excellent examples of pure, unabashedly Californian juice, yet nonetheless made with real skill, such that their motto rings true on the palate: “Excellent wine is grown, not made.”

2007 Ca’ Bella Viognier $14 (Mendocino County)
A soft bouquet, balsa-fine, with a nose reminiscent of Northwestern Viogniers, a swirl of canned peaches, spice, and fresh-baked bread. On the mouth the wine is surprisingly light, with deft, lifting acidity and a lovely, clean finish. Not at all heavy or overbearing, as far too many Viogniers are these days.

Ca’ Bella Vino Rosso (NV) $10
With a big, round, jammy nose of raspberry preserves and tart cherries, this buxom little charmer is not shy. On the palate it shows nice lift and pleasantly tart acids, with a real freshness that completely belies the relatively heavy bouquet; nonetheless this wine still expresses plenty of wild cherries and blueberries. Nice with or without food.

Update: A few days later, I tasted the Ca’ Bella Vino Bianco, which has a large proportion of Fiano (!), and was absolutely delicious, maybe even more impressive than the red. I believe it to be line-priced with the red, at $10. (erratum: this wine actually runs around $13)

2006 Zimri Cellars Chardonnay $18 (Oregon)
Zimri Cellars, located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, have produced a beautiful, classically Oregon Chardonnay here. The nose is all lemon meringue, sexy funk, banana skins, and fine wood, in the Burgundian rather than Californian style. On the palate, though, the wine really preens, with wonderful, tickling acidity and a light body. Coconut and papaya notes play out through the long, silky finish, marked with a compelling hit of olivey terroir.

2006 Zimri Cellars Pinot Noir $28
The first thing I noticed here was the nice, limpid color- I have been known to cross the room for a Pinot through which I can see sunlight (see: Eyrie, and Arbois). The soft, brisk nose is full of dried rosepetals and dill weed, while the palate shows great acids and minerality up front, with a long, blushing finish. Really nice Pinot. These two wines were an excellent first impression of the winery for me.

And, without further ado (drum roll…)

2009 TOP VALUE, SUMMER WHITE

2007 Oisly-et-Thesée Touraine $9 (Loire Valley)
Get the freshest vintage you can find; the newest are bottled in a screw-cap, a perfect accoutrement for what is, year in and year out, one of the best values in Sauvignon Blanc on the planet. That weirdo French name is pronounced “wa-lee ay tez-ay,” by the way. Distributed by Grape Expectations, this wine is just pure, citric Sauv Blanc juice, unencumbered by wood or heavy handling. It just glows with white grapefruit, apple skins, starfruit, and stones-after-rain, with a lip-smacking finish of perfect minerality and acids. At this price, there is no finer wine of this varietal.

All right, then. Truncated though it seem, this is the wrap-up of RFN # 8. Next week’s edition will be chock-full of good stuff, including the aforementioned Champers luncheon (I’m getting hungry already!), some springtime beer tips (Trumer Pils all day and night), a new recipe for Cuisine of the Month, and maybe a restaurant review or two. I just heard the weather report, and it seems that this weekend is going to be ludicrous, so have a great time- and don’t allow any out-of-state friends to visit you this week. Think of the urban growth boundary!

And, oh yeah, watch out for them teabaggers! (insert joke here)

Happy Weekend!

Yrs,
Riggs

RFN # 6, pub. 4/2/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 6
April 2, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Hallelujah! I’m a happy boy this afternoon, y’all, as my screen doors are open wide, the blinds can see, and that sweet patchwork sky seems to be trying ever so hard to be bluer than grey. If that battle is going the wrong way, and if my screen door is periodically ripped open by the gusts that channel through the buildings here, well, you gotta take the good with the bad. And when the bad ain’t all that bad, we’re doing pretty good, right?

OK, I’m a little sun-drunk, it’s true, and, even if no alcohol has crossed my lips, my cheeks are still hung with gin-blossoms, my eyes a bit too bright: because I have finally gained access to an openable file of the wines at the Burgundy luncheon I teased you about for a fortnight! Yes, momentous news, and just in time, because I have visited no tastings this week (my son Aidan and I did visit the IMAX theater to see Monsters vs. Aliens, though: quick review- story took a bit of a backseat to visuals. Occupational hazard with this new 3D wave, methinks…), and as such can deliver these notes to you in toto.

FREDERICK WILDMAN BURGUNDY LUNCHEON at CLARKLEWIS, hosted by ODOM

Finally I can spill the beans about this wonderful lunch. The day was even sunnier than today, and the company was just as bright. The room at clarklewis (www.clarklewispdx.com; 1001 SE Water Ave, PDX), is full of windows and light, with elegant, rough-hewn wood accents, and a wide, open kitchen. Kurt and crew down there are running a tight ship; it’s one of the best places in town to drink wine, and the fabulous, twining bridgescape beyond the building is always a great dessert upon leaving. You guys ready for some Burgundy? Imagine Hank Williams Jr. singing that if you didn’t get excited yet. Yeeee-haaaw!

Frederick Wildman offer one of the most well-rounded French books in the world. At a tasting thrown by them at the Art Museum in 2000, I rubbed shoulders with some of the finest names in French wine, from Jaboulet to Jolivet (where I famously gaffed it up with M. Jaboulet- maker of the Rhône’s most prestigious wine, Hermitage La Chapelle- delighted to be speaking to a famous winemaker in his native language, gushing to him that I would just love to visit his vineyards on the Loire some day… ahem…), and I have maintained a great respect for that company ever since. That their representative be the talented, lovely young Cynthia Challacombe- what a wonderful name!- only spices the stew. Holding court with the equally starry Kim McClaskey, the day unwound gently, with great eloquence. Sorry I can’t say the same about my notes, but here they are, at long last:

All wines are 2007 vintage unless otherwise noted. These wines are babies right now; although they are delicious now, every wine listed will continue to get better and better over the next few years. They are currently only hinting at what they will become.

Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur $80
All lean, racy limes and banana skins, with a marked peppery acidity. In the mouth it shows sexy acids up front, backed by an unobtrusive woody hit, and a long, cheesy terroir-driven finish.

Domaine Nicolas Potel Savigny-les-Beaune $57
This wine shows a sun-bright bouquet of zingy acids, wound round hopflowers and fresh key limes. The bright, floral acidity continues on the palate, lean and silky, with fresh cut grass leading to a super-clean finish.

Leflaive Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Champgain $92
Wonderful Leflaive juice, the nose is persistent and big, with rich aromas of green papaya and oro blanco graprfruit. In the mouth it’s all bustling acids wound around a tropical core, with a real richness perfectly set off with compelling minerality.

Darviot Perrin Meursault Clos de la Velle $74
So focused on the nose for its appellation, this wine shows laser-bright acids and raw almonds, zingy hops and fresh-cut lime. Its sweet, ripe fruit is a cascade of soft minerals and blueberry skins. Almost like a tank sample at this point, but seeming to burst at the seams.

Darviot Perrin Chassagne 1er Cru Les Blanchot Dessus $185
A special, rare treat, this 1er Cru Chassagne clearly shows its pedigree. The broad, tropical bouquet shows less overt acidity than the Meursault, but there is an erotic, animal backbone to the fruit. Managing to be light yet muscular, filled with class, all Meyer lemons tumbling into a finish with great cut. Check back in a decade.

Jacques Prieur Meursault Clos de Mazeray (Monopole) $90
The nose is still very linear and green, with white pepper minerals. On the palate, though, it’s already begun to preen, with rich flavors of red banana and papaya, utterly friendly with young, green tannins, and the beginnings of a real minerality to the finish.
A baby in swaddling at this point.

Nicolas Potel Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Marconnets $46
The nose is pretty, flowery, and bright, with a hit of allspice. The mouth is all about roses and cherries, with just a bit of tannic grip, nicely mineral. A real value for a premier cru wine.

Nicolas Potel Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Vignes Franches (Monopole) $55
The nose here is more untamed, spicy blueberry skins and flesh hung against warm citron zest. The mouth is elegant, bloody and structured, with a nice long finish, just a bit hot right now. Wonderful with roast chicken.

Nicolas Potel Pommard Les Vignots $53
The most interesting nose of these three, this one is herbal and grassy, while still all about the core of wild cherries and roses, seething beneath. In the mouth it’s a symphony of blood and fresh wild strawberries, with a wash of racy lime blossoms on the finish.

Nicolas Potel Chambolle-Musigny Vielles Vignes $60
A pretty, expansive nose of dried rosepetals, earth, and candies cherries, with green peppercorns on the end. The mouth is a gush of bright, focused wild cherries, with a framing cascade of sotto bosco and minerals, and great acids on the finish.

Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanée Vielles Vignes $60
For me, there’s just something about Vosne-Romanée… This one has a bouquet of sweet wild cherries and mandarin zest, with notes of leather and cherry blossoms underneath. In the mouth it flaunts gorgeous, sexy minerals, and a racy spine, with a long finish redolent of truffles and herbs.

Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts $92
Not as precocious as its antecedent in this list, the nose still sings with blueberry skins and white peppercorns, with “bubbly” acids and warm summer grass. The mouth is dark and rich, with sensuous layers of black cherry and fresh blackberry, and a finish of soft blueberry acids and mouthwatering acidity. Just a little baby right now.

(I must admit that these last three were somewhat obscured by the enticing aroma of the pumice brick from the kitchen… Alloro, the other side of the open kitchen! No worries, we’ll press on…)

Humbert Frères Bourgogne Rouge $30
This little charmer was so vibrant that it indeed cut right through the preceding wines, and, though of lesser quality, it is still a fabulous value, all bright cherries and clean, forest floor on the nose. The mouth showed these cherries, with nice minerality and great candied length.

Humbert Frères Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenots $122
Somewhat shyer than the little Bourgogne Rouge, yet obviously of much finer pedigree. The delicate, floral nose is like a forest stroll, sunny and open, while on the palate it’s all about racy strawberries and hopflowers, with a finish so long it’s silly. Needs a decade, at least, to shine, though she’ll begin to open up in around seven years, I’d guess…

Pierre Damoy Chambertin Clos de Bèze Vielles Vignes $550
I didn’t even look at these prices when I tasted these wines, but if the gush of my notes on this one (“pumice be damned!” scrawled below them) is any indication, I was suitably impressed even so. The nose showed immense depth of blackberry cloak, rich and intense, a riot of flavors that were nonetheless perfectly integrated. Completely sexy, utterly seductive. In the mouth it shows its youth still, while still bursting with sweet, ultra-deft Pinot fruit, with a seemingly endless cascade of soft minerality and tannins on the finish. Forget about it for 15 years, at least.

All right, friends, if not better late than never, it’s at least the soonest I could get it to you. I’ll have interesting anecdotes next week for you all about our “tour” of rural Oregon (with a rock and roll band, no less) happening this weekend. Also look for the first installment of Cuisine of the Month, and some tremendous value picks to ring in Primavera!

Always a pleasure, y’all! See you next week; have a safe and happy weekend.

RFN # 7, pub. 4/9/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 7
April 9, 2009

The Newsletter is affiliated with no one but its author
Please respond to this email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the list.
Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Hey, there it is again, peeking through the clouds! (cue music from Hair: “Leeeeeeet the sun shine, leeeeet the sun shine in, the suuuuuuun shine iiiiin!”) And here also am I, peeking into your inbox with my weekly rants, and pleased to be here. Spring continues to unwind, as the trees do their leaves, and the air gets softer and sweeter every week. It’s inspired a series of naughty haiku, but, don’t worry, I won’t include them here…

R-rated haiku
run the risk of being found
inappropriate

…Ha! Couldn’t resist! At any rate, this week’s installment is an exciting one, not only because it features the killer spring tasting over at Lemma, but because it contains the inaugural Cuisine of the Month. CotM will be my completely arbitrary choice of a cuisine that I think complements the weather, my mood, or the music I’m listening to (Thai and Debussy). I’ll give one recipe that exemplifies the cuisine, and an affordable wine pairing so we can all enjoy it. Did I mention that if you make the dish, you have to invite the entire mailing list over for dinner? Seriously, I welcome any recipe submissions, particularly of the meaty variety, since I am carnivorously challenged, as they say. Just email them to me at this addy, but please change the subject line to form a new thread, so your submissions don’t get buried in the general RFN landslide. If I get good recipes, I’ll include them throughout the month of their featured cuisine, and you’ll be famous. As Ole Man McCain said, “You Will Know Their Names!”

Ready to wine it up? Here we go…

Spring Imports Trade Tasting at Lemma Wine Company

Friends, one of the many reasons we are ridiculously lucky to live out here in Oregon is our fabulous localcentric culinary/wine/beer scene (should I coin a word there? “Cervecuivinous, having to do with beer, cuisine, and wine”). On the wine side of things, there are a special few families who have served the thirsty public longer, and better, than anyone else. Certainly one of the most important is the Lemma family, based right here in Portland, who have for years maintained one of the most diverse, vibrant, relevant books out there. Even though they are much smaller than some of the “big boys”, they are just as much a part of local wine shelves- an impressive achievement that bespeaks the sheer quality and hard work they exemplify.

They also know how to throw a damn fine tasting, of which I was reminded this sunny Monday, featuring a cross-section of their offerings. Here are my favorites:

Monmousseau Brut Etoile (NV) $13
Sparkling Vouvray! How very Springtime! 100% Chenin Blanc, this charmer shows a nose of sweet lemon acids, zingy and super-fresh. Delightful and bright in the mouth, it shows lots of fruity limes on the forepalate, but finishes clean and dry. Delicate and pretty.

Monmousseau Sparkling Brut Vouvray (NV) $16
OK, the first wasn’t technically Vouvray, so, in the interest of fairness… and unabashed yumminess… I’m including this one. Resembling the above in bouquet, yet with far more expression of earthy Loire terroir, this wine is also richer than its little compatriot. It retains excellent focus, with a mouthwatering cascade of acidity tickling through that fine mousse, and a great finish of snappy green apples. Absolutely worth the small extra outlay.

2007 Monmousseau Vouvray $12
You’ve all seen this wine, but have you ever tried it? This expressive still Chenin Blanc is demi-sec (half-dry), but, as its charming proprietor told me with a wink, “Americans expect sweet, so we don’t even put it on the label!” You’ll forgive her if she underestimates your savvy, loyal RFN readers, and you’ll do it the instant you taste this wonderful wine. What a value, and what a textbook version of its grape! Classic flavors of flowers and sweet clay wind through perfectly balanced acids and minerality, finishing like a long, slow smile. Really nice juice.

2008 Domaine Alain Brumont Côtes de Gascogne Blanc $11-12
Even as its price makes its annual northern migration, this wine remains a value winner. A blend of Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc this year, these two similar-tasting grapes unite in a burst of bright, summery white grapefruit. The finish shows peppercorns and citric minerality.

2007 Dme. A. Brumont Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Sec Jardins de Bouscasse $17
OK, that’s a mouthful of a name, heya? It’s pronounced “pash-er-ank dew veek beel,” by the way. Pacherenc is local dialect for “posts in a row,” referring to modern vineyard plantings, and the hills, located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, are knows as the Vic Bilh. Wines from this little-known region are made from Arrufiat, Gros and Petit Manseng, with a bit of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Think of it as a cousin to Jurançon. This almost exotic white is a wash of yummy limeflowers, stones, and chalk- you really can almost taste those colored hills- with super-bright acids and minerality on the eloquent finish.

2008 Miguel Torres Gewurztraminer Sta. Digna Reserve $11-12 (Chile)
I had to try a Chilean Gewurz, right? A bit unique it was, though delicious once you wrap your palate around it. The smell is of Huxelrebe (a German grape, intensely spicy and aromatic… High Pass makes a great one here in Oregon) and… uh, let’s say those of you who have traveled through Humboldt County might recognize the other smell. Not really “varietally correct,” but who cares? Dogmatism is for the small-minded! Refreshing and citric in the mouth, with a soft, clean finish.

2006 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling, Grosses Gewächs $34
“Grosses Gewächs,” meaning “great growth” (akin to “Premier Cru”), is a designation for a winery’s finest dry Riesling. This one is stunning. A head-spinning cascade of pure German Riesling fruit fills the nose with Meyer lemons and white peaches. Its piercing, clayey intensity must be experienced to be understood, with a loooong finish of blueberry skins and earth. All the intensity of a sweet Spätlese, but completely dry. Wow.

2006 R. von Kesselstatt Josephshöfer Riesling Kabinett $21
A great introduction to the heights German Riesling can attain, this gorgeous Kabinett shows a huge nose of flowers and slate. Wonderful expression of terroir and seamless winemaking make this a real classic. It’s so precocious now, showing what will happen as the wine ages- as it will, with utter grace, for up to a decade.

2008 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé $11
This wine was once the subject of a heated debate between Lemma's lovely, talented young Ellen Dull and myself, back in the halcyon days of my purple youth… but no more! Warning: this is not a completely dry rosé! But who cares, with this beautiful balance? The candied cherry nose shows off its zingy acids, and the mouth preens with bright, sweet fruit. The finish is all about minerality, with a bit of sweetness like shallow water over river stones. The perfect gateway drug for our black sheep, White Zin-loving friends.

2006 Bouchard Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir $30
Goodness gracious! This is the Platonic ideal of Pinot Noir, certainly. The nose is all roses and blood, while the mouth shows wonderful tannic grip and a compelling, silky minerality. A seduction, the wine is alive with sweet wild cherries, pear-skin, freshly-turned forest floor, and naughtier, blushing flavors. Absolutely perfect Pinot, IMHO. The savvy shopper will poke around right now for this wine, as a little bird told me it might just be on sale through May… Fingers crossed, and happy hunting!

2008 Tilia Merlot $11 (Mendoza, Argentina)
A dark, brooding, stony nose (not as stony as the above Gewurz, heh heh) of, you guessed it, blackberries and bitter chocolate. But almost restrained… A great value, particularly for fans of Northwestern Merlots.

2006 Domaine Saint Gayan Côtes-du-Rhône $15
Wonderful, this is the best Côtes-du-Rhône I’ve had in some time. Bright, almost candied wild cherries flirt and preen, while the palate is fine and bloody, totally accessible and open, like a lovely dinner guest who also tells great dirty jokes. Very, very nice. Its big brother, a Villages-level wine from Rasteau, is also gorgeous, at $20.

2003 Miguel Torres Conde de Superunda $57 (Curico Valley, Chile)
I was prepared to be skeptical about this wine, and it kicked my ass. Made up of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell, and Carmenere, this is an elegant, beautiful effort. Filled with bitter chocolate and dark berries, its wood is seamlessly integrated, perceptible but welcome. Despite these deep flavors, it retains such delicacy and sophistication. Wonderful.

2007 Miguel Torres Shiraz Sta. Digna Reserve $11-12 (Chile)
One of the value stars of the tasting, this pretty little Shiraz is all bright strawberry gush, with excellent restraint and a smooth, dry finish.

2008 Tilia Malbec-Syrah, and Malbec $11/ each (Mendoza, Argentina)
Another pair of great values, these Tilia wines are, across the board, excellent for their price. The blend shows lots of dark fruit balanced against compelling, bloody minerality, and the straight Malbec is more restrained, but with plenty of rich, earthy fruit. Lay them in by the case. By the way, their Cab, priced just as are these two, is another winner.

2006 Cousino-Macul Cabernet Sauvignon Antiguas Reservas $20 (Chile)
Yum, yum, yum! What a delicious Cab, and way underpriced at twenty bucks. A celebration of varietal purity (even for this multifarious grape), it’s a bustling cascade of blood, leather, black currants, and wild cherries. Eloquent depth and structure knit the wine together and give it real aging potential, although it’s wonderful right now. Even this veg craved a thick slab of beef with this wine in his mouth! Really nice.

Hungry yet? Great, then let’s move on to...

April Cuisine of the Month: Mexican

You were expecting Vietnamese? Nope, nothing lights up the sometimes-grey, sometimes-blue skies of Oregon springtime like spicy, hearty Mexican fare. These enchiladas are my own crazy hybrid recipe, built to go with wine and good friends. A casserole-dish (did you know that, in French, casserole refers to the pot itself?) of these and you’ll have happy company. Proportion ingredients to your taste- I tend to cook by feel, and smell, rather than by prescribed amounts and portions.

Enchiladas del Norte

You’ll need:
Casserole dish, olive oil, enchilada sauce, tortillas, tofu, broth, white wine, grated sharp cheddar and pepper jack, swiss chard or spinach, garlic, yellow onion, cumin, oregano

If you have time, press your tofu. Cut a 16 oz. block into two “steaks,” pat them with salt, and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or cloth, between two wide plates. Then place a heavy weight- maybe a teapot full of water- on top of the plates. This will press water from the tofu and give it a thicker, meatier texture. Make sure the weight is proportioned properly, or the tofu will be pressed irregularly (and we can't have that!). Do it for as long as you can. When pressed, cut the tofu into half-inch cubes, and sauté in olive oil at medium-high, allowing it to brown. When you’ve got some browning, add broth (I like vegetable broth, you can get it in bulk at Fred Meyer) and minced garlic. To this liquid add a dash of cumin and oregano, and maybe even a dash of soy sauce if it’s handy. Cook until the tofu has absorbed the liquid and set aside. Sigh, yes, you can substitute chicken here if you must!

Meanwhile, caramelize half of a nice yellow onion in olive oil and white wine. While this is happening, remove the tough veins from a bundle of Swiss chard and discard them. Once the onion is fully caramelized, add the de-veined chard, and a dash of cumin, and cook until soft. Resist the urge to eat this by itself…

Now you can oil up your casserole dish and get ready to rock. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. You’ll build each enchilada individually and set them fast against one another in the dish- usually a small casserole dish will take five or six enchiladas, a large one around nine or ten. Dip a tortilla into enchilada sauce and set it in the dish. Spoon tofu and chard into the tortilla, then add a dollop of cheese, usually in a blend with more jack than cheddar (these two cheeses work wonderfully together in all sorts of Amerexican fare), and roll the thing up into a wet little almost-burrito. Once you’ve filled the dish, sprinkle a bit of cheese on top of the whole thing, and a bit more sauce if you wish. Cover the dish in foil and bake until the top is just threatening to brown; you can remove the foil for the last few minutes if you wish, although if you do this too early you risk toughening your tortillas.

Serve with yellow rice (you can make your own with a little white rice, turmeric and garlic), and:

Zantho Muskat Ottonel Burgenland $16 (Austria)
If you read the RFN two weeks or so ago, you heard me gushing about Muscat. Throw a ‘k’ in there and it’s the same lovely, floral juice. The Austrians, in particular, make wonderful wines from the grape, and this one (with snappy packaging and a cool glass cork, to boot) is a total winner. It pairs perfectly with any cumin-seasoned dish, but it’s especially wonderful with Mexican dishes. You’ll smell wildflowers, Buddha’s hand citron, almost-ripe stonefruit, and wind through cedar boughs. On the palate, it is lively and filled with light, floral flavors coiling around a peppery, citric core. You should find this wine at once, it is wonderful (distributed by Odom in Portland)! Also matches well with halibut and mango salsa, or palak paneer. Yummy!

All right, friends, I think the clock is creeping ever closer to beer-thirty, and a Sierra Nevada ESB is calling my name. Or that might be the credit agencies. Oh well, let's call it beer! Have fun with the recipe, and mix it up- remember, if you hit a bad note, call it jazz! Enjoy these warm, flowery days while they last, y’all, and don’t forget to email me your ideas for next week’s recipe, for great local Mexican restaurants, or just to tell me to kiss off. Have a great, safe weekend, hug your kids, and we’ll be seeing one another same time next week.

yrs,
Riggs